


All Dressed up and Confessions to Go

by Penny_Candy



Series: Confessions in Space [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Female pronouns for Pidge, M/M, Romance, all characters 18+
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:50:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8497819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penny_Candy/pseuds/Penny_Candy
Summary: A little romance for a rare-pair. A party, 5 years in the future and Zarkon has been defeated. No one has escaped the battles without scars of body and heart both. Is it possible for some of them to be healed, or will misunderstandings prevent them from finding any happiness of their own?
 
 Lance sneered. He had been watching her this whole time.“It's the scars.” he  murmured to her as he leaned casually against the table. “The scars on our faces. They remind him of his own and that lost year, so he doesn't look. He doesn't want to see. He doesn’t want to remember any of the bad stuff and he won’t let himself remember the good stuff.” The cold, hollow, chuckle was an eerie thing to listen to. It made her breath catch and her fist clench. “Forget that one. He’s lost in his own world and you’re not in it.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that all characters in this story are of age.

Pidge ran down the castle corridor, dress torn and face smudged with tears. How could such a happy occasion end so badly?

 

4 hours earlier 

 

A dress. Pidge couldn’t believe she was wearing a stupid dress. Granted it was cute, and Coran’s tailoring skills made the green and black confection fit like a dream, but why couldn't she just wear a suit like the other paladins? Pidge shuddered, thank goodness it wasn’t the pastel one that Allura had tried to talk her into. Well, if she was going to wear the thing, she'd make the best of it. 

 

Pidge smoothed her hand down the front; still not much there after all these years. At least Allura had helped her with hair and makeup. Nervous, she took the last few steps from the corridor into the common room where the others were waiting for her.

 

“Pidge! Oh good, we were just discussing who to send to drag you out of your lion so we wouldn't be late to our own party.” Hunk’s sunny laugh was contagious and she began to chuckle. Hiding had been pointless it seemed. They had known where she had been all along.

 

Hunk looked fabulous in his formal suit. The black and golden-yellow accents were perfect against his bronze skin tone. He grabbed his walking stick but before he could leverage himself up off the couch, Pidge hurried over to give him a hug. She would do almost anything to keep him from needing to limp around further than he had to. That limp was just one of the permanent souvenirs they all had from the last 5 years of war.

 

“You look great.” the rough voice behind her could only belong to Keith. She released Hunk and turned to give the red paladin a smile too. The scar around his throat had faded from the deep angry color it used to be. It was almost possible to ignore it, now. Not possible to ignore the damage to his larynx, unfortunately. He spoke very little these days, as words were painful for him.

 

Pidge held her hands out at arm’s length for him to take and squeeze. They all had small quirks now, the professionals on Earth would call it PTSD. Keith avoided close contact with everyone but Lance. And so, it surprised her when he frowned and pulled her in closer to peer at her face. He grabbed her chin and took the red kerchief from his pocket to swipe at her nose. “Lion grease.” His raised eyebrow was as good as a scold. She shouldn’t have been hiding. 

 

Lance laughed and grabbed her away from Keith, twirling her away. She snorted as he teased her, “Hey now, no trying to seduce my boyfriend!” He took the handkerchief from Keith’s grasp and carefully folded it to replace in Keith’s pocket, letting his fingers linger on the black and red fabric over Keith’s chest. Keith rolled his eyes and gave him a tolerant shake of the head. 

 

Lance’s laughter was as bright as ever. Like water, it flowed around all the obstacles in his life and came around again. And despite the burn scars on his face and the shadows in his eyes, Lance’s smile was bright too. He still flirted with every pretty girl. Yet, every seductive smile was a test. Would this lady or man, (sometimes Lance’s humor wasn’t selective) be horrified by his grotesque appearance? Would they smile politely? Perhaps give a fake little laugh? Or would they pull away in terror? It was a game to him now, and not a nice one. Pidge believed that only Keith’s steady presence kept the scars from eating Lance away from the inside. 

 

Pidge ripped her eyes away from the two of them, the flirty looks were getting downright sinful and a couple years ago she would have snapped at them to go find a room. Now, she was afraid they might and they were going to be late enough to the party as it was.

 

Shiro was standing in a corner with an odd expression on his face, like someone had just smacked him with a long pole. Other than the shock, he looked every inch a prince. Tall, strong, just a bit more white in his hair now around the temples and a few more worry lines around his lips. Pidge could feel her breath catch and she hadn’t even gotten to his broad shoulders and the way he filled out the black-on-black of his suit. Drat the man, he should be arrested for looking that good and putting the rest of them to shame. Only Allura would be able to compete with him tonight. Pidge felt her cheeks pink and a twinge of jealousy curl in her stomach. As much as she wanted to continue looking at him, she tore her gaze away and went back to talk with Hunk.

 

Shiro’s entire world view had just been completely upended by a dress. 

 

Now, as he watched this young woman, he realized how much time had passed. Had he been asleep all this time? Ruefully, Shiro acknowledged that in a way, he had been. So focused on defeating Emperor Zarkon and the Galra Empire, he had blocked out most of the small things that were part of everyday living. Oh, he had participated in the food fights, the wrestling matches, the impromptu movie nights where they took an Altean film, turned the sound off, and created their own story around the pictures. But they had been just a way to break the tension, to blow off a little steam and create a tiny little moment of relaxation in his constant, stressful chain of responsibilities. At what point had he missed the important part of them all growing up?

 

Pidge had grown more than most of them. Now she was almost as tall as Keith and the black and green dress she wore swirled around her calves and hugged her slender waist, accenting her slender, but undeniably feminine frame. It had been hidden behind the baggy clothing she preferred and the spiky attitude she often adopted. At some point in the last five years, Pidge had become a woman. Hunk told her a joke with a wink and she laughed. The sudden pang of jealousy that sprang up in Shiro’s chest was as much of a surprise to him as the dress. Even more of a surprise, this was not entirely a new feeling.

 

Her eyes met his and he froze. Someone had done her makeup. He could not recall ever seeing her with makeup on. It was very subtle. Made to minimize the scars on her face and accent her large, amber eyes. It suddenly bothered Shiro that he couldn't remember when she'd stopped wearing the glasses. Her eyes squinched in a tiny frown and she looked away. Shiro was both hurt and disappointed. No smile for him? 

 

Allura, Princess of Altea, stepped up behind him and Shiro was so distracted that he jumped when she put her hand on his shoulder. “ls everything well, Paladin?” 

 

“I can’t believe it's over.”

 

“Well, not quite, but the worst is over. Zarkon has been defeated. We will hunt down the remaining druids and commanders and then we will have peace. Tonight is a time for celebration.”

 

Shiro was still unhappy. Even as he watched Pidge and Lance pull Hunk to his feet, he frowned. “So much pain. It doesn't feel like we won anything.”

 

Allura’s voice was gentle, “Shiro, you deserve happiness as much as anyone. Don’t be afraid to accept it when it's offered.” A puzzled glance was all the response she got.

 

Turning her attention to the group, Allura clapped her hands for attention. “Thank you, paladins. The universe is a safer place today as a result of your efforts and sacrifices. And so, we have opened the Castle of Lions once more to host this celebration.” She smiled at them, “Coran and the others, have been kind enough to take over our duties and maintain security so that the six of us may enjoy the party. Be certain to thank them later.” Two years ago they had found a colony of Alteans hidden away. Many of them had joined the fight and the castle now had a support staff, even if it was a sketchy one. The adjustment from just the seven of them to several hundred had been quite trying. Still, it meant they didn’t have to pull guard duty tonight and that was a blessing.

 

Shiro watched as Hunk ascended the steps and offered his arm to the princess. Allura accepted with a gracious smile and the two of them set off to the ballroom at a stately pace that allowed Hunk to manage with only minimal use of his walking stick. Idly, Shiro wondered how she had managed to give her hair that golden shimmer that matched Hunk’s suit exactly.

 

Pidge, laughing, squeezed between Lance and Keith, threaded her arms through theirs and dragged them up the steps as well. Shiro was left to follow behind, feeling as if he’d been cheated out of something precious and left with no idea what it was.

 

\-------------------------

 

Shiro watched the party from the edges. Movement on the royal dias caught his eye. Allura sat on the raised platform in her usual place. Tonight, Hunk sat beside her. The odd motion had been Hunk pulling a flower from a nearby arrangement. Curious, Shiro watched him weave it into the princess’ hair. Such a romantic sap. The black paladin smiled at Allura’s happiness. After her father's A.I. had been destroyed, Hunk’s warm caring had given her a refuge from sadness and her steadfast certainty calmed his anxiety. They were so good together. There had been whispers in the common room about a possible marriage.

 

Only momentarily distracted, Shiro was not about to relax with so many strangers in the castle. The impassive mask dropped back over his face and he scanned the crowd for danger.

 

The formal portion of the evening was over, and they'd spoken with most of the alien representatives that wanted to speak with the Paladins of Voltron. Most had wanted to express grateful thanks but there were always a few with issues they wanted to broach in a less formal setting.

 

Now was the social and relaxed portion of the party. The dance floor had a few couples and groups out there. Shiro peered closer. Yes, it seemed that Jerry the Arusian had managed to coax Keith out onto the dance floor and the uncomfortable red paladin had obliged him. They were doing some odd two-step with a twirl and kick. Undoubtedly, that dance would end as soon as Keith could manage it. Shiro chuckled. Now, if Keith was on the dance floor, where was Lance? As he scanned the crowd, he spotted Pidge and immediately forgot all about the blue paladin. 

 

Pidge smiled until her face hurt. Brightly, she greeted faces both familiar and new. Small talk was exchanged. More serious matters were tentatively broached and gently set aside for other days. Pleasant on the outside, Pidge was not about to let anyone know about the hollow regret that was eating at her from inside. Pidge had not missed the shocked look on Shiro’s face when he saw her tonight. Nor had she imagined the frowning thoughtfulness whenever she caught him looking in her direction. The affectionate smile on his face when he looked at Allura just now, was so obvious that even Lance couldn’t have missed it. So, here she was at a party; too young, too unappealing and apparently too late as well. Envy lay sour in the back of her throat. She drifted through the crowd, waiting for an eddy in the current to sweep her near the tables of food and drink.

 

Now sipping from her glass of odd, blue, mint flavored liquid, it would be a while yet before she could graciously leave. Over the years, Coran had managed to beat a few royal protocols into the five of them. The most difficult lesson for her had been how to pretend interest in the most boring of situations. Difficult, but she had learned it well in the end. She let her eyes wander across the room as she drank.

 

Pidge caught Shiro looking at her with the most intense gaze, but he glanced away before their eyes met. Exasperated, she set the half empty glass down. Did he disapprove of her in a dress and having a good time? What in the world was she doing wrong this time? Sometimes living in the Castle of Lions was like having four older brothers smothering you all the time. And Shiro was the worst of the lot. Sighing, Pidge looked away. She'd much prefer he saw her as something else.

 

Lance's dry chuckle broke her concentration as he picked up her discarded glass and drained it. He picked up another one and drained it as well, goading her into asking “How many drinks have you had tonight?” With a casual snort, he brushed off her concern with an indolent wave of his hand. Lance sneered. He had been watching her this whole time.“It's the scars.” he murmured to her as he leaned casually against the table. “The scars on our faces.They remind him of his own and that lost year, so he doesn't look. He doesn't want to see. He doesn’t want to remember any of the bad stuff and he won’t let himself remember the good stuff.” The cold, hollow, chuckle was an eerie thing to listen to. It made her breath catch and her fist clench. “Forget that one. He’s lost in his own world and you’re not in it.”

 

Pidge had forgotten that parties brought out the worst in Lance when he had some alcohol in him. She reached up and let her fingers brush over the lowest of the three scars that ran across her face, barely hidden by the makeup. Souvenirs of a Galra captain who had tried to rip her face off with his bare claws. Allura’s skill had hidden them tonight, but they were always there. 

 

Lance picked up another drink and threw half of it back. “He'll never see past them, you know. Just like all these others. All we are is ugly. Inside and…..” He never finished. The bright, sharp sound of Pidge’s palm connecting with his cheek cut through all conversation and music; drawing all eyes to the two of them. The sound of the empty glass shattering on the floor followed it.

 

Her breath sobbed in her chest. The fierce sting in her numb hand was gratifyingly echoed in the bright red palm print emerging across Lance's scarred face. His eyes were wide with shock and hers were dark with fury. Assaulted at a party by his own teammate. Before the delighted gossipy whispers started, Pidge tried to choke out all the things she wanted to say to him.

 

How dare Lance insult her, make light of her very real and deep feelings? She had sobbed in his arms many nights over her ongoing and unrequited crush. How dare he make light of not only her sacrifices, but his own as well? Those scars were hard-won badges of honor and they all deserved every heartfelt thanks that came their way. Especially since those were the only things that made the nightly self-recriminations over the people they had been too late to save more bearable. 

 

All those words and more, piled up inside her and choked in her throat. Tears welled up, she was holding onto her composure with every fingernail of determination she could muster. If they were alone, she would have screamed at him and called him every obscenity in her vocabulary, including a few she’d never used before. She would have clawed at his face and added a few new marks to the ones he hated so much.

 

She didn’t care what his face looked like. She never had. Pidge was one of the few people who never flinched, never hesitated to touch Lance with all the love he craved. Keith was another. And Hunk had always been there. It must be the alcohol because she couldn’t believe he would forget something that important to both of them.

 

“How…” she choked out. “How dare you?” A shallow breath, because a deep one would bring the sobs. “Go, find Keith. I don’t want to see you again tonight.” She turned and stalked from the ballroom. The aura of raging, contained fury that spread around her ensured beings of all kinds scattered from her path. 

 

Hunk and Allura both stood. Dismay on his face, the yellow paladin hesitated, unsure which of his teammates needed him more. Allura rested a gentle hand on his arm. Pidge would not welcome company at this time and she had already spotted movement towards Lance. Shiro was farther away, but Keith had to spare the time to politely excuse himself from his Arusian dance partner so they both arrived at the blue paladin’s side together.

 

“Holy Crow! Did you see what she did? What the Quizack? What did I do to deserve that?” Lance’s voice was rising in both pitch and volume. He was waving his arms around wildly, making even more of a scene than the slap had. Fortunately for Pidge, this had the effect of drawing attention away from her and she made her escape from the room in peace. 

 

“Lance, calm down.” Shiro’s soothing tones had no effect. Keith, counting the number of empty beverage containers, simply grabbed his partner by the arm and hauled him off to to nearest corner. 

 

“Ow ow ow ow. Keeeeiiiith… that hurts!” Lance whined.

 

Concerned, Shiro followed. Keith looked over his shoulder and said, “Drunk.” Nothing more was really needed. The sour look on his face said enough as he manhandled his partner up against the wall.

 

“She’s standing there mooning over fancy-man and as usual, he’s oblivious. I mean, she’s totally Hot tonight and he’s not asked her to dance, or given her a compliment or even said three words to her yet!” The rant was just getting going and Keith just held him up by the lapels of his jacket and let him go. He rolled his eyes at Shiro. This would take a little while, but the information would be marginally more coherent than if they tried to ask him questions. “Did you see that dress, Keith? I can’t believe she wanted to wear a suit like ours.” He went on at great length about her legs and her waist and how good she looked. Shiro was starting to feel uncomfortably warm just listening to him. 

 

“And then I just told her there wasn’t any point to it because he would NEVER notice her because he never looks at her because of her scars. Which is what proves he’s so stupid, because he’s got that big one of his own across his nose, and then she just totally lost it! She hit me! Did she break my face, Keith? It hurts.” 

 

“You idiot.” The rough, gravelly tones of Keith’s exasperation rolled over them both. “Shiro, go see Pidge. I've got him.” Still holding onto Lance’s lapels, he leaned over and snagged a water bottle, thrusting it into Shiro’s limp hands. Completely confused and still shocked at what he thought he’d heard Lance imply, he stood frozen until Keith snarled at him, “Wake up! Go.” Keith pulled the handkerchief from his breast pocket and handed it to Shiro as well. 

 

“What are these for?” Water? Why would he need this stuff if he was going after a seething Pidge? Keith mimed tears running down his face and did a convincing sniffle, then pretended to blow his nose. Oh. Crying. Yes, he supposed she would be. 

 

Seeing that glint of comprehension, Keith nodded, got a firmer grip on Lance and began steering him in a wobbly path towards the door that led to the personal areas of the castle. “Keith? Am I gonna puke? I think I am. Yep. Pretty sure I am. I’ll try not to do it in your hair this time.” Snorting, Shiro turned his attention back to figuring out where the green paladin had concealed herself.

 

\-------------------------

 

Pidge was cold. The night air on Arus was a bit on the cool side this time of year and her dress was sleeveless. Well, it was now. She'd snagged one on a decoration somewhere. And since she’d already torn one, she ripped them both off, pretending they were Lance’s skinny legs. “I hate him so much.” The initial rage that sent people of all kinds scattering out of her path had passed. The tears and sobs were dying down as well. Now, here she was on some forgotten balcony in the night air, torn dress, missing one shoe, with her eyes and nose all puffy from crying. She could still hear the faint music from the party inside. What a perfect night. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

 

Tomorrow, she could go back to her computer and her programs and pretend she never tried to be anything more than just the green lion’s pilot. Another soft sob welled up and escaped.

 

Hesitant footsteps echoed on the ceramic flooring of the empty room behind her. She stilled. Long, life-saving habits of always being battle-ready prompted her to reach for her bayard. The materialization module that usually resided in the hip pocket of her flight suit was strapped against her thigh, under the skirt. She dropped her hand down from her face and triggered it.

 

“Pidge?” 

 

Oh no. No no no. Of all the people she wanted to have find her with snot running from her nose and tears crusting her face, Shiro was on the very, very bottom of that list! Quickly, she dismissed the bayard and grabbed one of her discarded sleeves. Frantically, she scrubbed her face with it. 

 

“Pidge, are you in here?” Shiro hesitated. Coran had told him that sensors showed her in this suite of rooms, but he could have been mistaken.

 

One deep breath. Summon a sense of composure. Not finding it, she settled for resignation. “Yeah, I'm out here on the balcony.”

 

His form deepened the darkness behind her. “Hey, do you mind if I join you?” Shiro’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.

 

“Go ahead. It's a free universe, after all.” if her humor sounded forced, he didn’t comment on it as he leaned on the balcony rail next to her.

 

“I found your shoe.” There was a rustle in the darkness and he sat it down next to her.

 

“Thanks” She didn't bother uncurling to pick it up. There was no point in doing so. The awkward silence between them continued.

 

Finally, she gave up and broke the silence. It was hard to cry over the oblivious focus of your attention when he's standing beside you. “If you're here to scold me for smacking the Insufferable Lance in the face, please get it over with.”

 

“No, I'm fairly certain he probably deserved it, but I think you do owe Allura an apology for disrupting her party.” 

 

“Fine. I’ll do it tomorrow.” The silence lengthened again.

 

“Lance said some things before Keith carted him off to sober up.” he cleared his throat uncomfortably. 

 

“Shiro, if you are about to give me some brotherly advice, please stop now.” Then the meaning of his words hit home. “Wait, Lance was talking in coherent sentences?” She could see Shiro nod in the moonlight. “About me?” another nod. She groaned.

 

“That’s it,” Pidge scrambled to her feet, mortification complete. “I am going to throw myself off this balcony right now because there is no hole in the universe big enough for me to crawl into long enough to live this down!” There was no possible way for this to get worse. A six-year secret spilled by one drunken fool. And then it did.

 

“Katie,” Her name on his lips was just a breath of air and yet it held her. She looked at him. His eyes were closed and his hands were clenched on the banister. The blue glow of his prosthetic arm was bright in the moonlight. She and Hunk had spent months reverse engineering it to replace the Galra one. She had been stubbornly determined to remove that last trace of horror for him so he could heal.

 

Now, Shiro’s voice was harsh with unexpressed emotions, “I need to know something and I need it to be the truth.” He shivered, opened his eyes and looked straight at her. “Who are you in love with?”

 

There it was. The question. She could deny it, or she could confess everything. Pidge, being who she was, was never one to concede to coercion. Her reply came out harsher than she intended, “Why should that matter to you? You’re clearly in love with Allura so what do my feelings have to do with anything? Why do you care? Is it so you can protect me from myself? In case you hadn’t noticed over the last few years, I’ve grown up! I’m an adult now, and as much as you’d like to think of yourself as my surrogate brother or father, you don’t get to decide who I spend my time with!” She took a deep breath to continue raking him over the coals but before she could get started again, he grabbed her by the shoulders.

 

“Wait, what?” Utter confusion was written all over his face. “Katie, what makes you think I love Allura?”

 

Venom thick, she lifted her chin defiantly, “I have eyes. You’ve been watching her all night long. You look like a lovesick puppy, which is even worse because she and Hunk are a pair now and I can’t believe you’d do that to him, too. Not after he lost Shay in that raid and only just found someone to make him happy again.”

 

“Katie!” His fingers clenched her shoulders hard enough to leave a bruise and he gave her a shake to get her attention. “I don’t love Allura. I love you!” Suddenly realizing what he had just said, Shiro dropped her. He pulled away and stammered, “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. It was inappropriate. Please forgive me.” he turned to leave. What in the world had made him just blurt it out like that?

 

Pidge shook off the shock of his words and snagged him by the cuff of his jacket before he could bolt out the door. “Oh no! You don't get to leave after that! Explain.” Her forbidding gaze demanded an answer.

 

Shiro dropped his head. “Fine. Yes. I was watching them tonight.” His face was hot. “For the first time, I let myself think about what life could be for us now that Zarkon is gone. I realized I want what they have. I want someone to share my life with.” Cheeks dark in the moonlight, he glanced back towards her. “It wasn't until Lance was ranting about you that I understood that the person I want is you.” He shook her hand loose. “I'm sorry. You’re young and a hero to the whole universe. You have so many better options out there than a worn out soldier like me.” He managed to pull away from her loosened grip.

 

“Takashi Shirogane, don't you dare leave. You asked me a question, and as a gentleman, you will do me the courtesy of hearing the answer.” Shiro blinked in startlement at hearing Allura’s lofty tones from Pidge, who was someone more likely to spew obscenities. “Now, sit down. I don’t want to do this standing up.” Completely taken aback, he did as he was told and sat down with his back to the rail. She sat down beside him with a huff.

 

Quieter now, she continued, “This is something I have only told one person, and as you can guess, it was Lance. It was a really stressful day. You were in a healing pod and I was crying and he managed to get it out of me. I don’t know if anyone else has figured it out, but he’s the only one I told.” Thinking back to some of the comments aimed his way earlier in the evening, Shiro had a suspicion that he was the last to know. Pidge took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, calmly and steadily she said, “I love you, Takashi.” it was out there. The words were said and couldn't be retrieved. 

Shiro shifted uncomfortably. Such a blatant statement was so like her! Why waste time being subtle? So why hadn’t she said something sooner? Obviously, this was not something she'd just discovered tonight. Suddenly it became really important for him to know. Anxiously, in almost a whisper, Shiro asked, “How long have you known?”

 

“Since I was 12. The day Dad and Matt brought you home for dinner. Don’t you dare laugh.”

 

He coughed, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

 

Pidge fiddled with the edge of her skirt. “Then you were all lost in the Kerebos mission.” She took a deep breath and looked up at the stars. “We both changed that year.”

 

And really, that one statement said everything. Shiro still didn't remember some of that hell year, but he remembered enough. But what happened after was clear enough. Pidge had only been 14 when she snuck into the garrison and later got kidnapped by a giant blue lion. Katie had never had a sweet-sixteen party, a prom dance, movie dates, snuck off to sneak kisses behind the ice cream shop, had gossipy sleepovers with her girlfriends or a countless number of other teenage activities. She had been stuck in a castle with four older boys and a galactic empire that was busy trying to kill her.

 

When he asked her if she was upset over missing those things she sat for a little while in thought. “You know, I’m really not. I was never really that much into dresses and hairstyles. I did those things more to make my mom happy.” Pidge ran the fabric of one of her discarded sleeves through her fingers. “Finding out the truth of what happened to you and my family pretty much took over my life, and then after we found you, there was the search for my dad and brother. And of course the whole saving of the universe gig. Who had time for dating, dancing and parties?”

 

“Katie, I’m sorry you missed so much. I wish I could have taken you back to Earth so you could have had all that stuff.”

 

“Good heavens, why? I have met some of the most incredible people in the universe, including a 10,000 year old princess who is either yelling at me because I rerouted her security cameras for my own purposes or trying to get me to go with her to raid Hunk’s pantry for a midnight snack. Why would I miss hanging out with some airheaded, giggling girls or being slobbered over at a party by some testosterone-laden schmuck with too much alcohol in his system?”

 

“What about friends?”

 

“I’ll have you know that I have four very good and dear friends who are closer to me, at this point, than my family every was.” Her fond smile made his heart clench. “Even at the Garrison, I hadn’t bothered with friends. You guys made me realize it was ok to let people inside, that I didn’t need barriers around me when I have friends to rely on.”

 

“Dances and parties?”

 

“Shiro, were you paying attention to anything going on downstairs for the last four hours? There’s a party down there that’s about 10 magnitudes bigger than any of the dinky, mandatory things they ever forced us to attend at the Garrison.” Shiro conceded. Those Garrison events had always been mind-numbingly tedious and stiff. “Although,” and her voice was wistful, “I did want to dance tonight. And I suppose we’ve missed out on my birthday cake.”

 

Shiro blinked in confusion. “Birthday cake?”

 

“Yeah. I accidentally let slip to Hunk that my 19th birthday happened about two days before we invaded Zarkon’s main-line fortress. Or two days after… I don’t remember now. It was a very confusing time. He seemed Hell-bent on the idea that I needed a cake”

 

“Um… happy birthday?” 

 

“Well, that was both pathetic and awkward, but thank you.” Her snort of amusement lessened the sting. She rubbed her arms, it seemed the temperature was dropping again and the balcony had long ago lost any warmth it had stored up from the sun.

 

Shiro, seeing her shiver, immediately peeled off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. He didn’t feel the cold that much and it was a good excuse to pull her closer and tuck her head under his chin.

 

Pidge closed her eyes and breathed in that wonderful scent that was the black paladin. It reminded her of the bright taste of copper pennies, the fuzzy feel of power thrumming under a titanium case, warm velvet and the sweet smell of puppy breath. At that point she was perfectly willing to skip dancing if she could sit here the rest of the night, curled up next to him. 

 

And yet, in this perfectly romantic moment, there was still something eating away at Shiro and he wasn’t about to let it go. “Katie,” he breathed, “I’m sorry, but why me? I am old, and worn out. I will always be so much older than you. What makes you want me?” He still wasn’t convinced this was more than a very long-lasting case of puppy love.

 

Pidge sighed. She had often thought that it was ironic that of all the paladins, the oldest one was the most insecure in many ways. She thought for a few long moments, how to help him see in himself what she saw. She attacked the subject from an unanticipated direction. “When you say ‘Katie’, who do you see? Who am I?” This was the core of his dilemma. If he still saw her as only a little sister, it wouldn’t matter what her answer was. She could feel him struggling with it, his heartbeat shot up and his breathing became more uneven. “Start with Pidge, then. Who is Pidge? Pretend you’re talking to Hunk or Keith if that helps.”

 

That was easier. “Pidge is my comrade, my partner. She is loyal and fierce.” Fierce indeed, Shiro had often seen the tiny paladin stand up to imposing people, including Allura, to insist on, not only her own rights, but the rights of others as well. No one was bullied when she was around. “She is clever, and creative. I can’t imagine how she figures out some of the things she does. To be honest, I am a little afraid of how smart she is.” Shiro paused for a long time. “I want to protect her. More than anything. And she won’t let me.”

 

“Why do you want to protect her so badly? Can’t she take care of herself?”

 

“Yes. She’s very capable. And she usually comes out of situations better than either Keith or Lance. Probably because she’s too smart to go somewhere dangerous without backup or a plan. But I can’t help it. I want to keep her safe.”

 

“Is it because she’s a girl?” Shiro shook his head in a firm negative. “Is it because she’s smaller than everyone else?”

 

Shiro actually laughed. “Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately? You’re almost as tall as Keith now. You’re not my small, little Pidge anymore.” In fact, there had been a great many times Pidge had pulled all their bacon out of the fryer and at times when it was her skills alone that enabled their successes.

 

She smiled. The pronoun change had not escaped her. “Well then, that’s Pidge, what about Katie?”

 

“Katie…” His tone was more brooding. Katie was the 12 year old girl he had met at the Holt’s house, Katie was Matt’s baby sister, and for a brief time, Pidge HAD been Katie. But that little girl wasn’t around any more. Who was Katie? He took a long look at the young woman wrapped in his jacket. “Katie is beautiful.” 

 

He had her tucked under his prosthetic arm, so he reached over and stroked his fingers over the scar across her cheek with his left hand. He could feel the ridge of stiff tissue and he remembered vividly how she had received it by standing over him in all her snarling, protective fury after the Galra captain had knocked him into a wall and left him too dizzy to stand. “Katie is my valiant protector.” 

 

He remembered how she spent weeks finding the exact frequency of white noise to pipe into his quarters to mask the castle’s engine sounds which were too similar to the Galra prison ships for him to sleep. And then, she and Hunk had actually modified the engines themselves to resonate on a different note. All for him. “And supporter”

 

And that wasn’t even considering the time and effort she had put into reengineering his arm. It was Altean now, not Galra. Powered by tiny, blue Balmera crystals instead of druid-warped quintessence. So many evenings she’d sat, curled in his lap with assorted tools tucked behind her ears or held in her teeth as she’d tinkered on it, making fine adjustments. It was never good enough for her until it was perfect. How could he not love her? 

 

“You are Pidge, and Katie. There would be a gaping hole in my life without you.” With that thought in his head, he leaned, tilted her head up with a finger under her chin, and kissed her.

 

A small squeak of surprise escaped before her lips melted against his. Pidge closed her eyes. His lips were so warm and the kiss was tender and soft. He pulled back but she kept her eyes closed. Slowly she lifted her hand and brushed her fingers across her lips.

 

“Pidge?” He sounded concerned. Probably thought he’d done something wrong. 

 

“Hush. I just want to remember this. It’s my first kiss.” 

 

Her first? His stomach knotted in delight and horror. How could he have possibly been the first? He thought back. No, there really hadn’t been that many opportunities. Still, he did recall one time. When she opened her eyes and grinned at him, he asked. “Didn’t Keith kiss you once? I seem to remember that.”

 

Pidge laughed. The bright, wholehearted chuckle she used only on occasion. “Oh, that was only because Lance had him do it for a dare or something. I hardly think that counts.” Yes, Keith had been rather appalled, Pidge just wasn’t his ideal kissing material.

 

Pidge collapsed back against his broad chest with a satisfying thump. “That was fun, but let's talk about you, now. And, stop trying to distract me with your sexy lips.” Shiro sputtered and turned three shades of red. “Do you seriously think you're too old for me?” 

 

He buried his embarrassment in the apple-fragrance of her hair and mumbled, “Yes.”

 

“Well, you’re not, and there are many reasons why I like you. I love the way you always hope for something better for all of us.” She ran her fingers down his artificial arm and he shivered at the touch. “I love your inner strength.” She chuckled, “I even love the silly way you think laser guns go ‘blam blam’, which they don't, by the way.” 

 

Pidge pulled out of his arms and shifted around until she was kneeling in front of him. “But, think about it. If we went back to Earth right now, how many people would be able to relate to me? The people I consider my peers are all older than me and honestly, I always found the people my own age to be just a bit stupid. To top it off, I am bonded to an alien robot cat. There are only four other people in the entire universe that could understand how that is.” She reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand. “Anyone else, my age or otherwise, of any gender, couldn’t possibly compete with that.” He blinked, his eyes widening. “Of the five of us, you are the one for me and your age is irrelevant.”

 

Shiro absorbed that for a few minutes, then got to his feet and straightened his clothes. He offered her a very proper bow and held out his hand. “Well then, Miss Holt, there seems to be only one solution. May I offer you my services as escort? We can return to the ballroom and enjoy a dance or two before the evening ends.”

 

“Why thank you, Sir Shirogane, that sounds delightful. I accept.” She put her shoes back on, placed her hand in his and allowed him to lift her to her feet. With a shy smile, he pulled out the water bottle and red handkerchief. Tenderly, he wiped all traces of tears from her face and if he lingered over her lips or eyes, she was disinclined to protest.

 

One more lingering kiss in the moonlight, followed by a whisper in her ear, “Are you ready?” She nodded. “Good. I need to pick up one thing from my quarters on our way.” She linked her arm through his and walked beside him on the way through the door.

 

\-------------------------

 

They rejoined the celebration, arm in arm, with Pidge wearing Shiro’s jacket. It concealed most of the damage to her apparel but made it quite clear that they’d been together.

 

Allura smiled in relief and gave them a nod. She and Hunk had spent the night playing graceful hosts, a duty that Hunk had shown a surprising talent for. A few lessons from Coran had helped him develop a certain polish and now, sitting next to the princess and talking with one of the various races’ ambassadors, he looked ever the composed consort. At least until he spotted the two entering paladins, at which point he dropped every facade to give them a cheerful wave. 

 

Pidge grinned and waved back. She couldn’t imagine why they continued to put off setting their wedding date. It seemed inevitable to her. Speaking of married couples, she scanned the crowd to see if a certain red and blue pair were still around. Not that she particularly wanted to speak with the blue one just yet.

 

Yes. they were on the crowd’s edge, not too far from the dias. Lance was still looking a bit green but seemed to be more himself. Keith was beside him and appeared to be keeping him from trouble for the moment. Lance waved to catch her attention and when their eyes met, he signed at her in battle-code. **Sorry. Sorry. All good?**

 

This wasn’t the first time they’d used the code to speak across ballrooms. She replied, **Yes. Good. Love you. Kill you later.** He made the appropriate face and she stuck her tongue out at him. Yes, it was going to be fine.

 

Shiro murmured in her hair, “If you’re done flirting, would you mind dancing with me before I get jealous?”

 

“Of course, old man. I’ll let you steer me around the dance floor. Do you need your walker or will you be ok tonight?” 

 

He spun her out onto the dance floor, growling in her ear, “That is the last ‘old’ joke you will ever make at my expense, so I suggest you enjoy it while you can.”

 

“Oh really?” her mischievous smirk firmly in place, “and how are you going to stop me?”

 

Like combat, dancing is all about trusting your partner. They flowed across the floor without needing to concentrate on their next steps. “Please recall how much time I spent with your family. Three months to Kerebos. We talked about a lot of things.” He adjusted their steps to avoid another couple. “Including, I may add, a 12 year old girl.” Her eyes widened. “They were very willing to share EVERY story they had about her. I am particularly fond of a few of the baby names. Let’s see how many of them I can remember…”

 

“Ok, ok. You win. You win. PLEASE do not EVER repeat ANY of those in Lance’s hearing. I am begging you.” He chuckled at the raw panic in her voice.

 

“I can’t repeat them if I’m kissing you.” Shiro felt the arms around his neck a scant second before she was smashing her lips against his. 

 

Hunk’s eyebrows looked to make a permanent home in his hairline as he watched the two paladins on the dance floor dissolve in a fit of mutual giggles. Allura leaned over and whispered to him, “Is that normal?”

 

He shook his head in response. “For those two, no. For two humans in the throes of new love...unfortunately, yes.” He kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Keith and Lance made it through that phase. These guys will, too.” His attention returned to the pair that were making their way across the dance floor toward the dias, happy smiles beaming from their faces. It was about time! As soon as they were in earshot, Hunk said, “So, Pidge. You got any kisses left for your old buddy or did you waste them all on him?”

 

“For you, Stumpy? Always!” She laughed again, and walked over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

 

Hunk pulled her down into his lap for a big hug. “I’m so happy for you, Midget. It took him long enough, didn’t it?” Neither one of them missed the quick flash of jealousy across Shiro’s face. Oh yes, paladin dynamics were going to be interesting for a while.

 

“Well, I have some good news for you and some bad news. Good news: I baked a cake. A real cake. With ingredients from Earth that I sent Lance to pick up along with the last mail run. We’ll have it after the guests clear out and we have some private time for ourselves. And yes, Pidge,” He could see the question brimming in her eyes, “since it’s your ‘birthday cake’ I got your mother’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake recipe.” Pidge melted with a happy sigh.

 

Shiro raised his eyebrow, “And the ‘Bad News’....?”

 

“The Princess and I have been entertaining all these people by ourselves for the last two hours while Keith was sticking his finger down Lance’s throat and the two of you were off canoodling in the far rooms of the castle. You owe us. Now, get out there and be sociable until all these lovely people have satisfied their justifiable curiosity and are ready to go home.”

 

Pidge sighed and clambered off Hunk’s very comfortable lap. “Spoilsport.”

 

Shiro knew this was his opportunity and if he didn’t take it right this very moment, it would be lost and he might never find the courage to go through with his plan. Tense with nervous fear, he caught the green paladin’s hand and knelt in front of her. “Before we do that, I have something I need to say, first.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment, ignoring Hunk’s wide-eyed flash of understanding, Allura’s polite confusion and Pidge’s gasp of shocked anticipation. 

 

Fumbling slightly, since his left hand was holding Pidge’s and his prosthetic was awkward for fishing around in pockets, Shiro pulled out the ring he had retrieved from his room. It was his Garrison Class Ring and one of the things Keith had kept in a box, tucked away in that lonely desert shack. Shaking, he fumbled it onto her finger and asked, “Katie, will you marry me?”

 

Her voice squeaked, “Yes!” and Hunk hoped that somehow, Pidge could fish the recording of this moment off the castle’s video feeds for him, because that was just too darned precious for words. He’d need a copy to send to their parents. He glanced at Allura who had just caught on. The fierce look on her face told him that she was already planning a double-wedding. Well, that was just fine with him. He glanced over to the side of the room where Lance and Keith were. Lance was still looking a bit green but Keith’s broad grin made it plain that he’d been able to follow the little drama on the stage. Hunk saw him lean over to speak in his partner’s ear and smiled. Perhaps, a triple-wedding.

 

For Katie and Takashi, in that moment, the whole universe revolved around the two of them.

**Author's Note:**

> You made it to the end with me! I hope you liked it.  
> I confess, I wrote this story entirely for myself. It's a self-indulgent bit of fluff and I'm sharing it with you because it's my birthday, today.
> 
> This was a special story for me and in a way fulfills a wish for a little girl who fell in love with someone MUCH older than her. It never happened, it never had a chance. It's true that as you get older, the difference in ages tends to matter less, but still, age-gap relationships usually don't work out well. Usually, but one can never say "never".  
> Pidge is an old soul and Shiro is someone that life has beaten down hard but he still has a young heart. If any couple can bridge that gap, I think this pair has a chance. Fortunately, they're fictional characters so I can make that happen for them.
> 
> I am also proud of myself for not letting my muse talk me out of the happy ending.  
> I suppose, if you guys really encouraged me, I might be talked into ruining it just enough for a second chapter.
> 
> Please leave me comments and let me know if there was something you really liked, that would be the best birthday present I could receive.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @littlepennycandy as well.


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